2007
Diamir face, the Kinshofer Route
Achievement: reaching the summit via the Kinshoffer route
June – July 2007
Piotr Morawski
Peter Hamor
Dodo Kopold
Kinga Baranowska
Robert Rojo
Martin Gablik
Anton Suchy
Rudolf Bosjak
8125 m
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The Diamir Face is a northwest face and measures almost 3500 meters in height, making it one of the highest faces in the world. It was first conquered by Germans in 1962, with Toni Kinshofer, Siegfried Löw, and Anderl Mannhardt reaching the summit. Löw tragically died during the descent.
Since then, the beautiful route now known as the Kinshofer Route has become one of the most popular routes to ascend Nanga Parbat. In the lower section, it traverses a long, 1000-meter couloir to overcome the rocky section known as the Kinshofer Wall. Above it lies the second camp, popularly known as the Eagle’s Nest. Further ahead is a long ascent along a rocky-snowy ridge to Camp III. The most dangerous section, although not the most difficult, is the approach to Camp IV and beyond, to the clustering of the summit wall. Due to the gentle slope of the wall, there is a high probability of avalanches. Additionally, Camp IV is situated on a large plateau, making it difficult to retreat if the weather breaks. The summit wall measures almost 700 meters. The route to the summit follows a system of couloirs to reach the ridge near the lower peak. Then, there are several dozen meters along a rocky ridge to reach the snow saber symbolizing the summit.
In 2007, we went there for acclimatization before attempting the west face of K2. The core team consisted of Peter Hamor, Dodo Kopold, and Piotr Morawski. Additionally, Kinga Baranowska (Poland), Roberto “Gori” Rojo (Basque), Martin Gablik, Rudolf Bosjak, and Anton Suchy (Slovakia) participated in the expedition. Ultimately, almost all participants reached the summit (except for the ill Anton).
© 2024 Piotr Morawski